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Facts and figures: Israel at 60

POPULATION

Most Israeli citizens are from families of former Diaspora Jews who returned to the land of their forefathers in the 20th Century. Many fled discrimination and persecution in Europe and the Middle East for the state founded in 1948.

More than one million Muslim and Christian Arabs also have Israeli nationality, a sizeable and growing proportion of Israel's population of seven million.

Immigration is an important factor in Israel maintaining its identity as a Jewish state, but Jewish immigration has fallen to its lowest level in 20 years, with fewer than 20,000 Jews arriving in 2007.

About four million Palestinians live in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The settlements that Israel has built in the West Bank are home to around 430,000 people.

ECONOMY

Since 1948, wars with Arab neighbours, high government spending and soaring inflation have put severe pressure on the economy.

The economy has seen rapid growth since the early 1990s. This is in part due to the influx of highly educated Eastern Europeans after the fall of communism and increasing foreign investment, especially in the high-tech industry.

Israel receives substantial direct economic aid from the United States. This totals approximately $3bn annually - $1.2bn in economic aid and $1.8bn in military aid.

While trade in fruits has declined, the high-tech industry is booming.

CONFLICT

Much of the history of Israel since 1948 has been one of conflict between Israel, its neighbours and the Palestinians.

Military spending on maintaining the occupation and infrastructure spending on building the settlements has also been very high.

Since 1948 hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced, many living in UN-controlled refugee camps.

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